I Stand For Him
by WitandAmbition
Summary: In her seventh year, Ginny visits the portrait of a certain old headmaster.


**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

Most of the Weasley products were banned from Hogwarts, but McGonagall was out of her mind if she thought Ginny wouldn't manage to sneak some in. That was why she was able to use an Extendable Ear to obtain the password to the Headmistress' office.

Hidden around the corner, Ginny checked to make sure that McGonagall was gone before hastening to the griffins guarding the door. Her lip curled at the sight of them. She had recently found out that Dumbledore had been the one to place the griffins there. It was yet another way he showed favoritism. She spat out the password, and the guards sprung aside to reveal the staircase leading to the office.

Downstairs McGonagall was dealing with a distraction provided by Luna and Neville. Ginny wasn't entirely sure about their plan, but Luna had mentioned using Thestrals. An increased amount of students were capable of seeing the skeletal horses this year.

Reaching the office, Ginny nudged the door open. She scanned around the office and easily found the portrait she was looking for. Dumbledore had hung next to Snape by Harry's insistence. Snape was missing from his portrait – Ginny briefly wondered where else the sour man could go; not even Harry wanted to see him – but Dumbledore was there, unwrapping a candy.

"Ah, Ms. Weasley!" he cried, lowering the sweet he had been about to pop in his mouth. "What a lovely surprise."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she said sardonically.

"Contrary to popular belief, I am not omniscient," he replied wryly. "How may I help you, Ms. Weasley?"

Ginny came to stand in front of the portrait and crossed her arms. The way that he peered at her over his spectacles, sharp blue eyes judging her worth, made her skin itch. He was little more than a memory of the former headmaster.

"I have some questions, and you're going to answer them," she said, her tone brooking no argument.

His brows rose. "I cannot guarantee I will be able to answer," he said carefully.

Ginny gave him a brittle smile. "Then your silence will be damning, since these questions will be easy to answer." She paused before continuing. "Did you know Harry was abused?"

For a long moment, there was silence. Her respect for him, which had already begun to dwindle, rapidly sank even more. Dumbledore lowered his gaze.

"I did," he admitted softly at last.

Ginny nodded shortly. Hermione had said it was likely, since Harry had so many guards on him through the years. Mrs. Figg would probably have been the first to report it.

Once again, Ginny found herself wanting to strangle a dead man. Unexpectedly, Remus Lupin had been the first of them, when she found out the man hadn't ever bothered to visit Harry. Ginny didn't believe Harry's excuse of the man being caught up in his own grief. She was still recovering from losing Fred, her own brother by blood, but Ginny _knew_ she would never forget about an orphan. She had even gone with Harry to visit little Teddy shortly before the school term started again.

She pressed on.

"What about Snape?" she asked quietly. "Did he know?"

His eyes swiveled to the empty portrait next to him. "Yes," Dumbledore murmured. "Severus knew most of what I knew."

She was almost certain that was a lie, but let it slide by.

"Then did you know Sirius was innocent even before he escaped, as Snape did?"

It had been one of the things that came out during the Death Eaters' trials. Lucius Malfoy had admitted that the entire Inner Circle knew of Sirius' innocence. Blood pounded in Ginny's veins as she remembered finding out about that. Snape had been instated as a part of the Circle shortly before Voldemort's first fall for giving his master the prophecy.

When Dumbledore hung his head, a silent tear tracking down his face, Ginny swung away. She had gotten the most important information. For Harry's sake, she would never forgive the old man.

* * *

 **AN:** Ginny is this really strong character that I think Rowling has trouble portraying. So I wrote her as I think Rowling intended: someone who does not meekly follow Harry.


End file.
